Miter Trimmer

Overview

No more planning, no more sanding, and no more tear-out on pre-finished frame moldings with this revolutionary miter trimmer! The secret is in the laminated blade with a shear cutting bevel and razor-sharp edge. It lets you cut off micro-fine slices for the most precise fit. Totally adjustable for 45 degree and 90 degree cuts.

I had one in the past, it did a good job other then the 45 degree angle did not stay in place until I drilled holes for it. I am hoping there has been some changes so it will keep the angle when cutting 3 1/4" trim without moving

I need to make a lot picture frames. I've been using a table saw and jigs... but I used one of these years ago, it made great easily cut miters, so I thought I would get one. They are fantastic for cutting and trimming perfect miters.

I had one in the past, it did a good job other then the 45 degree angle did not stay in place until I drilled holes for it. I am hoping there has been some changes so it will keep the angle when cutting 3 1/4" trim without moving

I need to make a lot picture frames. I've been using a table saw and jigs... but I used one of these years ago, it made great easily cut miters, so I thought I would get one. They are fantastic for cutting and trimming perfect miters.

BEST ANSWER:No problem. This tool is designed for such tasks. Keep in mind, this is a trimmer. It is prudent to take several paper-thin passes as opposed to trimming to your mark on the first attempt. I have trimmed pieces up to 3 1/2 x 2 with ease. One thing I would point out is to keep the trimmer oiled with a light oil when stored, or make sure it is stored in a dry place. Trim a scrap of wood to take off the oil the first time you use it for the next project if oil on your trimmed piece is and issue. This is a tool that makes me wonder how I got along without it.It is spendy but worth it if you demand precision and don't want to waste good wood.

The rabbit is not an issue. What is an issue is if the piece to be cut remains flat, otherwise you end up getting a compound angle. Usually, on a framing project the rabbit is much smaller (not as wide) than the overall surface and keeping it flat to the trimmer bed is the key factor. As long as the trim is in the same config as the original cut you will be fine.

The only thing that matters in your example is to make every cut on the rabbitted (flat side) every trim. I think this might be a simpler way to explain it. Whatever method you use to make the original miter cut, just repeat it with the trimmer in the same configuration, same side down as it was done with the miter saw. I hope that helps.

BEST ANSWER:No problem. This tool is designed for such tasks. Keep in mind, this is a trimmer. It is prudent to take several paper-thin passes as opposed to trimming to your mark on the first attempt. I have trimmed pieces up to 3 1/2 x 2 with ease. One thing I would point out is to keep the trimmer oiled with a light oil when stored, or make sure it is stored in a dry place. Trim a scrap of wood to take off the oil the first time you use it for the next project if oil on your trimmed piece is and issue. This is a tool that makes me wonder how I got along without it.It is spendy but worth it if you demand precision and don't want to waste good wood.

The rabbit is not an issue. What is an issue is if the piece to be cut remains flat, otherwise you end up getting a compound angle. Usually, on a framing project the rabbit is much smaller (not as wide) than the overall surface and keeping it flat to the trimmer bed is the key factor. As long as the trim is in the same config as the original cut you will be fine.

The only thing that matters in your example is to make every cut on the rabbitted (flat side) every trim. I think this might be a simpler way to explain it. Whatever method you use to make the original miter cut, just repeat it with the trimmer in the same configuration, same side down as it was done with the miter saw. I hope that helps.

I have not tried trimming oak, but the key as far as I can tell is the thickness of the amount you are trying to shave off at a time. The harder the wood, the thinner the slice you should try to remove at a time.

BEST ANSWER:Gerald, I trimmed an 1800 sg ft basement remodel and blades are still in good shape. this is a trimmer for very paper thin cuts. if you try and cut bigger chunks it won't work and will dull out the blades. hopes this helps.

BEST ANSWER:Gerald, I trimmed an 1800 sg ft basement remodel and blades are still in good shape. this is a trimmer for very paper thin cuts. if you try and cut bigger chunks it won't work and will dull out the blades. hopes this helps.

Unless a person uses this in a high volume commercial use, this shouldn't be an issue. The critical factor is rust. I keep my blades lightly oiled if stored for any period of time and use a solvent to remove any oil if that is an issue regarding the material being cut. The first cut usually removes the light oil. These blades can be sharpened by a professional for a nominal fee. Myself, I would not attempt to sharpen them. I love my trimmer. One of those tools you ask yourself, why didn't I already have one of these.

BEST ANSWER:Because it cuts on the diagonal, the width of the board you can trim depends on its thickness. a 3/4" thick board can be between 5 and 5 1/2 " in width. A 1 1/2" thick board has a max width of approx. 3". This is all for a 45 degree trim. Hope it helps.

BEST ANSWER:Because it cuts on the diagonal, the width of the board you can trim depends on its thickness. a 3/4" thick board can be between 5 and 5 1/2 " in width. A 1 1/2" thick board has a max width of approx. 3". This is all for a 45 degree trim. Hope it helps.

Hi, The largest piece would be 4 inches. (Actual)I would say that if you are doing most of your work at the maximum, you might consider a larger trimmer. If you just need to have this as an option this is a great piece of equipment to have.It's one of those items that when you have it you wonder how you got along without it, if you do any precision mitering.

Not very large--- only small moldings. For larger pieces, I find it much more efficient and accurate to use my stationary disk sander (Jet), for which I have built a table extension with guides that allow me to set an accurate angle.

BEST ANSWER:If you are talking about baseboard around the bottom of a wall - no max height is around 3 1/2 " If it is picture frame moulding laying flat - yes you can cut a 45 degree with it laying flat. Hope this helps

BEST ANSWER:If you are talking about baseboard around the bottom of a wall - no max height is around 3 1/2 " If it is picture frame moulding laying flat - yes you can cut a 45 degree with it laying flat. Hope this helps

Reviews

Careful here. Cuts great miters when stock is soft and not very wide. But try to cut a 2&quot; wide piece of oak and the fences will not stay in place. Tightening the thumb screws in an attempt to lock the fences in place just causes the casting to crack, poor design. Had to make modifications to get it to work properly.

I received this a few days ago, I was having trouble getting my joints correct for picture frames. I was concerned about buying this because some of the reviews, however, this item is fantastic. I just made 4 frames from scratch. The stock was 1x2 pine and the miters could not have been tighter. I think they must have fixed some of thie issues mentioned below. It only took me a few seconds to set this up, the 45 degree stop snaps in place and stayed there. With a little elbow grease, the unit was ripping paper thin slices. Only took about 20 min to cut all 32 edges for the frames. Watch your fingers when mocking the unit. I barely touched the blade and got a nasty cut. If I had one complaint, there should be some sort of blade guard for storage.

I have made my own (and for others) picture frames for a long time. I always fretted over my 45's for smooth corners. Since I bought this trimmer, all that went away. I get frame shop quality corners with absolute reliability. Other guys are correct regarding the fact that it's difficult to keep the stock stable while cutting. I suffered the same problem until I made a simple modification. I bought a roll of 2 inch wide adhesive and applied it to the base of the trimmer. VIOLA! holds the material completely steady when trimming and perfect cuts. The trimmer removes micro-thin strips of material even on wide material and works perfect. I love it.

The miter trimmer is an effective tool for trimming thin to paper thin slices from mitered edges with very little risk of splintering. Stock must be cut to the approximate angle and length prior to fine tuning on the trimmer. As Sylvia mentioned in her review above, this tool lacks the type of accurate, positive position locking that would make set up easy. I used a 45-45-90 plastic drafting triangle to successfully set up the miter angles on mine.

The thumb set screw creates too much torque holding the fence in place at any angle other than 90 or 45. Beware or you'll break off the small wrap around on the fence, cast iron only has so much strength as I found out, I had to improvise with a clamp to finish a renovation. I went with a shooting board instead, low tech and you can easily replace parts with scraps! So I recommend you spend your hard earned $ elsewhere.

Blades do a fine job. But, they really miss the boat by not having a positive setting for 45 and 90 degree cuts. The wood slips as you cut. Real bad oversight and so simple to fix. The way it is it's a poor tool. If the setting was installed it would be the best for picture frame miter cuts! A shame.

The Rockler Miter Trimmer is a picture framing must-have! As good as miters might be on your table saw or power miter box, this tool will show you that they can be better. I use it for every miter that will get close scrutiny. Ready to use, easy to use, and results are perfect every time, whether shaving for perfection or trimming to length. Paul Nistico pays the ultimate compliment below when he says it does what it says it will do.

I just finished installing several hundred linear feet of standing cherry molding in my home. I purchased this about 1/3 of the way through the job- and what a difference it made. As others have noted, it has only 90 and 45 degree fence positions. Having this same concept with high-precision fence adjustment would be much nicer and, perhaps, prohibitively more expensive. However...

Using this tool to shave extremely thin shavings- to the point of translucence, is what it's all about. This tool is designed to be introduced into the process after getting the pieces as close to correct as possible with the miter saw. Placing one, or more, business cards between the stock and fence, or even under one edge, provides sub-degree precision just not possible any other way. I've heard professionals rave about these machines and was very excited to finally find one. After a very short learning curve, this has allowed me to consistently produce the absolutely tight miter joints I have strived many years for, and yet rarely attained.

This tool is everything it sayes it is. It cuts paper thin slices off oak! I am really impressed. They must have fixed the problem with the indexing as there are positive stops for 90 and 45 deg. This tool will turn your almost perfect corners on your mounding into absolutly perfect ones. They come out glass smooth. It makes me look like a pro.

This tool was originally produced in the 1880s. The factory produces these for many companies, but they are all the same. The key is to pre cut the miters about 1/16th over, then use the trimmer to take off about 1/32nc. I mounted mine on a sheet of ply with a 1/1 1/2 wooden piece on one end that fits into my wood vise. That holds it very steady and helps make for perfect cuts. I tried all kinds of jigs and could not get a perfect miter. The slightest blade deflection will ruin the cut. You will find one of these in every frame shop because it is the only guaranteed way to get a perfect 45. Just don't try to cut off very much. The Rockler price is good on sale. Once you use it you'll wonder why you waited so long to get it. My wife is a budding artist, which automatically makes me a frame maker. Make sure your stock is flat or you will have trouble clamping and gluing. Splines in the corners make for a much stronger frame. Don't sand finer than 150 grit if you want the stain to penetrate properly. Pre finish before you cut the stock because glue squeeze out will spoil the corners if you finish after, unless you use paint.

The trimmer works fine for small molding. As others have mentioned, this is for trimming to size, not for the initial cut.

The reason I didn't give five stars, however, is because of the poor quality of the instructions. It's one poorly photocopied sheet with very fuzzy pictures. I expect something better for a $200 tool. Harbor Freight occasionally does this sort of thing, but I didn't expect it from Rockler.

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You have no obligation to purchase the product once you know the price. You can simply remove the item from your cart.

Our price is lower than the manufacturer's "minimum advertised price." As a result, we cannot show you the price in catalog or the product page.

You have no obligation to purchase the product once you know the price. You can simply remove the item from your cart.

What People are Saying:

I have been using Rockler for years, your products are always the best that can be purchased and your prices are very reasonable. Ann you have always done your best to make me feel as though I was your very best customer. Thank you for great service."

- Daniel F.

What People are Saying:

I have been using Rockler for years, your products are always the best that can be purchased and your prices are very reasonable. Ann you have always done your best to make me feel as though I was your very best customer. Thank you for great service."